


When Lightning Strikes the Heart

by artsy_anachronism



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: AMITY NEEDS A HUG, Also TLOK of course, Boscha is Like That, F/F, Gen, Gus doesn't but he is supportive anyways, I fucking love Avatar by the way, I have IDEAS y'all, I'm a research student at my university so I'm used to writing bluntly, So does Luz honestly, Special thanks to Calli and KP for reviewing this ily both, Willow knows what's up in more ways than one, and of course Lumity always, canon divergence ahoy, electricity go wheeee, heehee Avatar reference go brrrr, hhhh I hope my writing isn't too choppy, i have skarlow brainrot send help, mayhaps I add more ships in the future, please go check out Fivey's au if you haven't, screw that let's give all these kids a hug, they are so cool and their art is amazing, this story is now complicated and I'm living for it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:01:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27387616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsy_anachronism/pseuds/artsy_anachronism
Summary: Amity Blight had been alone her whole life. Forced to hide a family secret, she had worked her whole life to get to the top to make up for that secret. But when Luz Noceda begins her first day at Hexside, Amity discovers that maintaining her reputation may be harder than she thought.--------The first known human to arrive in the Boiling Isles, Luz Noceda has finally earned her way into Hexside School of Witchcraft and Demonics. With her new friends and her found family behind her, she is finally ready to take on this new magical world. However, when a lightning strike hits the Owl House one stormy night, Luz has to contend with a new situation she never could have seen coming. Is there someone out there who can help her?
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Emira Blight/Viney, Willow Park/Skara
Comments: 20
Kudos: 160





	1. A Lesson in Loneliness

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a fic based upon Fivey's Lovestruck au, which you can find on their Instagram at @arxticfive on Instagram. If you haven't already, go give them a follow! 
> 
> Minor spoiler warning: plot points from the episode Adventures in the Elements and Lost in Language are mentioned, I suggest watching those episodes before reading if you haven't already seen them.

A Blight does not associate with just anyone. The candidates for potential friendship had to possess certain qualities that made them stand out, made them worth getting to know. Money. Prowess. Social status. These were among the qualifications that made associating with a Blight feel like a business deal rather than a friendship.

So when Amity Blight, the youngest of the Blight children, greeted the new human student Luz Noceda on her first day at Hexside, the whole school noticed.

This wasn’t normal. The Blights normally kept to their own social circles, rarely associating with those around them unless necessary. Interacting with anyone outside of their circle, and with a human no less, was practically unheard of.

Humans were something of an oddity in the Boiling Isles, as they did not exist there naturally. Because of this, and due to their lack of magical ability, they were often regarded as lesser beings. Given their status, there was no way a Blight would ever interact with one without some sort of deal. On Luz’s first day at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics, every student, teacher, and faculty member watched and listened, wondering what it might be that this human had to offer.

———

“Hey Luz, congrats on getting in! And not being in the baby class.” Amity whispered the last part, relief etched in her voice. Though her tone was teasing, she was genuinely relieved that Luz had gotten through the entrance exams. Despite knowing Luz knew two spells, Amity had lain awake at night praying to the Titan that Luz would get in. She knew deep down she had nothing to worry about; Luz was both a bright student and a hard worker, qualities Amity admired. She just wouldn’t have been able to bear seeing Luz waste her potential. She deserved better than the boring baby class.

“Thanks Amity, up top!”

Luz held out her hand, and Amity slapped her hand against hers. This was something Luz had taught her, a ritual known as the “high-five”. Though Amity did not understand it, she always obliged Luz without a second thought.

Perhaps she should have hesitated, because as soon as Amity made contact with Luz’s hand, the abomination following Amity did the same thing- right onto Luz’s face. Luz spluttered, trying to get the gross abomination gunk out of her face.

“Luz! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking I-“

Luz cut Amity’s apology off with a laugh, a genuine one that tugged on Amity’s heart.

“If you think this is bad, you should’ve seen the mud catapults I made in fourth grade.” Luz wiped a mirthful tear from her eye, spreading abomination gunk further onto her face. “I was target practice!”

Amity smiled fondly, trying to imagine young Luz smiling through layers of mud. The image made her giggle, a genuine one that was so rarely heard from her. At the sound of Amity’s laughter, Luz stopped laughing and regarded her with a look that shook Amity right down to her bones. Luz’s expression was one of both wonder and endearment, her warm eyes sparkling as they did the first time she heard Amity’s laugh in the Bonesborough library. Amity blushed and looked away, smiling nevertheless. She didn’t know how something as simple as a smile from her dear friend could have such an effect on her, and she wasn’t sure if she could handle it.

Then she felt it. A deep rumble in her chest, like thunder from an oncoming storm. Electricity sparked in her veins, burning white hot and freezing cold. Her hair began to stand on end, and every nerve in her body felt as though she was looking over the edge of a cliff. This was new. She had never felt this raw energy before, coursing through her veins like liquid fire. Whatever it was, it scared her.

“Amity? Amity!”

She must’ve looked pale, because Luz’s soft expression had changed into one of concern.

“Hey, are you ok? You look a little sick, do we have a doctor here?”

Amity didn’t even have time to ask what a doctor was. She took off running towards the school, not even daring to look back.

“Sorry, I’m gonna be late! We’ll catch up later!” She called back, hoping Luz wasn’t too hurt by her quick departure.

She couldn’t worry about that now, though. With every passing second, the rumbling grew louder. Amity could feel electricity pulsing through her veins, and her steps became quicker.

Much too quick.

She was running faster than witches were capable of at this point, and someone was going to notice eventually. She dashed behind a column towards the back of the school, hoping she would be alone. She was. The first warning bell had saved her, signaling ten minutes until the start of the day. The students began filing in the school, leaving her alone outside.

Amity sat down, back pressed against the column wall. She leaned her head back, panting from the run. The cool column wall felt good, a cooling relief that helped quell the sensation boiling throughout her body. She stayed there for a moment, relishing that coolness. She even could have fallen asleep there, worn out from her impromptu run across the school courtyard.

The morning was beautiful, a decadent orange color blending together with a soft pink. It was as though the sky had been painted, a palette of vibrant colors splashed across the heavens. The ribs of the Titan rose in the distance, stark white contrasting with the pastel sky. The purple trees rustled gently in the wind, whistling with the magic that permeated everything in this world. Amity had lived in the Boiling Isles her whole life; she had never seen another sky. Thus, she tended to take it for granted. But this time, as she relished in the gentle morning light and the cool breeze, she thought it was beautiful.

She could have stayed there forever, tucked against the column as she marveled at the sky. But she had work to do, and she knew she couldn’t put off what she needed to do much longer. With a deep breath, she held her hands out in front of her and concentrated.

A tiny thundercloud popped into her hands. She gasped at the sight. She had never seen the little cloud this angry before. It was as grey as the Owl Lady’s hair, marbled with angry streaks of black. It pulsated with energy, vibrating and emitting deep rumbles that shook the entire cloud. Blue tongues of crackling lightning shot out, casting shadows and blue light across Amity’s face.

“What happened to you?” she asked the cloud, twirling it around her fingers. Despite feeling silly, whenever she summoned the tiny cloud she always talked to it as if it could respond. She knew it wasn’t rational- it was just a cloud after all. Yet she couldn’t break the habit.

She had been doing it since she was a young witchling, when she had a friend to show her little cloud to. Despite that friend having been cut from her life long ago, Amity still talked to the cloud. Sometimes, she wondered if it was her only friend in the world.

 _‘Which is… kind of pathetic, considering it’s literally a part of me.’_ Amity mused, a pained expression crossing her face as she pondered this point. She regarded the heart once again, watching it crackle with fierce energy. She knew what she had to do, though she wasn’t entirely sure her little trick could calm the raging storm. Still, she had to try.

She sighed deeply, then began to hum to herself. The melody was light, like a gentle breeze on a sunny day. It brought tranquility to the tempestuous storm, which began to change.The lightning diminished and the thunder subsided, until nothing was left but a fluffy gray cloud. Once Amity finished her tune, she observed the cloud, toying with it gently while she looked it over. Having discovered nothing out of the ordinary, she clasped her hands over the cloud, and when she removed them, the cloud was gone.

__That was better._ _

Amity sat quietly for a moment in thought, listening to the sound of the wind rushing through the trees. Though the storm in her chest had quelled, the storm in her mind was not yet finished.

____‘What was that? I’ve never felt that kind of energy before, why now?’__ __

Amity clutched at her chest, her heart beating rhythmically once again in a neutral fashion, imitating the triple beat of a true witch’s heart. Something told her that her trick would not last forever, not if her energy kept increasing like that.

______‘I can’t let them see me like this. Especially not her. What would she think of me if she saw what I really was?’__ _ _ __

Her heart sank at the thought. Just then, the second warning bell screamed, snapping her out of her fugue. She had to pull herself together now- she couldn’t show weakness in front of anyone. So instead of staying there like she wished she could, Amity Blight dusted herself off and stood. She retrieved her books, then summoned a new abomination to help her with the heavier ones, the former abomination having deformed after Amity took off. Once everything was settled, Amity set off towards her first class of the day, face set in the stony state of apathy she rarely ever broke. She was the top student at Hexside, and she was determined not to topple again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! First chapter done, I've been wanting to write this for so long but school kept getting in the way, I hope it was worth the wait. The chapters will get longer I promise, I'm just bad at introductions.
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you have any constructive criticism, please send it my way. I will take no offense, and would love the feedback so I can improve future chapters.
> 
> Updates are going to be on a weekly basis, but I cannot guarantee no delays.
> 
> Also, if you have any questions/concerns/memes and would prefer to contact me directly, you can find me at @suki_nation on Twitter and on Instagram at @artsy_anachronism.
> 
> See you in the next chapter! :)


	2. Shocking Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz makes a shocking discovery this chapter. Pun intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, welcome back! I hope you are all well, and that you are holding up okay during these tumultuous times. I am so sorry for the delay, I'll explain why it was delayed in the end notes.

Luz watched Amity run off, confused but not entirely bothered. Amity Blight was just as much a mystery to her as she was to everyone else, leaving her to guess what had scared her friend so much. She had said she was going to be late, but according to Luz’s Hexside pamphlet school wouldn’t start for another fifteen minutes. 

‘ _Huh... I know she takes school seriously, but this might be a little extreme even for her._ ’

Though, to be fair, Amity did once try to dissect Luz to prove her academic superiority, so perhaps it wasn’t entirely beyond her to be so eager to head to class before the first warning bell. She cringed at the memory, thankful that she and Amity were no longer on such sour terms. The cold, bitter person she first met was a completely different person than the one she cared about now. Back then, she never would've guessed that Amity had a sense of humor, much less that she had a dorky side of her that loved Azura just as much as Luz herself did. They really had come a long way, much like Azura and her former rival Hecate had. Luz smiled at the thought, knowing Amity would have geeked out over that reference if she were here. She would have to bring it up to her later. But for now, she decided to head into the building, ready to begin her first day at Hexside. 

\-----

The halls of Hexside were alive with chatter; students, faculty, and parts of the actual school itself were talking and laughing, enjoying the few precious minutes before the bells screamed and the school day began. There was a certain excitement to this time of day that Luz couldn’t get enough of. She twirled over to her locker, yelping when she nearly bumped into it. The locker opened its single eye and looked at her disapprovingly, growling menacingly from the back of its nonexistent throat. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” Luz squeaked, backing away slowly from the locker. The locker squinted at her, still growling. It didn’t seem willing to forgive Luz quite yet.

“Having locker trouble?” Luz turned, and standing behind her stood two of her favorite people in the entire Boiling Isles, Willow and Gus. Willow, who had asked about the locker, smiled and walked over to where Luz was standing. She hugged her friend, then drew a spell circle with her pointer finger. A bag popped out of thin air and landed in Willow’s hand. She opened the bag, and pulled out something that looked similar to a dog biscuit. She turned to the growling locker and held up the treat. The locker immediately stopped growling, its eye following the treat hypnotically as Willow waved it around.

“Ok, I will give you the treat, but only if you let my friend get her stuff.” Willow commanded. The locker whimpered, saliva dripping from glistening white fangs as it gave her the saddest puppy eye it could muster. Willow stared at it and raised an eyebrow, clearly not budging from her deal. Once the locker realized she wasn’t going to give, it rolled its eye and opened its jaws, exposing its storage area. Luz quickly grabbed the books inside, then stepped back as Willow tossed the treat into the locker’s open mouth. The locker slammed down with a ferocity that made Luz’s heart nearly stop. It chomped happily, savoring the treat. After staring in shock for a solid minute, Luz turned to Willow, extremely grateful for her friend saving her from an impromptu amputation.

“Thank goodness you were here, I don’t think AngryPants over there was going to budge if you hadn’t tricked it like that.” 

“It’s no problem! Here, take some.” Willow held out some of the treats and dropped them into Luz’s open hand. 

“Just in case your locker gives you any more trouble, it’s good to build trust with it.” 

To demonstrate this point, Willow walked a couple doors down over to her own locker. The locker opened its eye and made a noise that sounded like a cross between a cat purr and a chainsaw. Willow scratched the locker just under its white, glistening fangs, and the locker opened its jaws to allow her to get her things. After removing her items, she tossed a treat in its gaping jaws, and the locker closed once more.

“Awww, you and your locker are so sweet together!” Luz cooed.

“You think they’re close?” Gus scoffed, heading towards his own locker. When he got to his locker, he tapped a rhythm on the locker door. The locker opened its eye and looked down at him.

“What’s up Bob? Up top!” Gus held out his hand, and the locker opened its jaws to reveal a glistening purple tongue. Gus and the locker then performed an extremely complex handshake, complete with high-fives and fist bumps. After they finished, Gus grabbed his things and walked back over to Willow and Luz.

“That was incredible! How did you teach it how to do that? And uh… why’d you name it Bob?” Luz asked.

“Well, ever since you gave me a cool human nickname, I thought I should give one to Bob. We’re homies now.”

In that moment, Luz seriously regretted showing Gus those vines she had on her phone a while back. She couldn’t explain that words like “homies” weren’t really used by humans anymore. She decided to drop it. The bell would be screaming soon, and she would have to meet Principal Bump in his office to choose her classes. She couldn’t wait to study all the cool subjects that the covens had to offer. She just knew that today was going to be a special day.

\----

Special. Huh. It certainly was something. Luz found herself mopping the floor in the detention room, dressed in the grey uniform of the detention track. After learning she could only choose one coven track, she was assigned to the Potion track. That wasn’t entirely her forte, and she desperately wanted to learn from more than one coven track. Bump had caught her messing around with one of the Oracle crystal balls, and had sent her to the detention hall. There were other students in there, but after she attempted to talk to them she had gotten in trouble with the teacher and was tasked with mopping the floor.

‘ _I gotta find a way out of here._ ’ Luz thought, scanning the walls for a way out. The detention teacher was fast asleep, so Luz ditched her mop and walked over to the large window on the opposite side of the room. She glanced out the window, then smiled. Willow and Gus were talking outside, along with a bunch of other students. She knocked on the window to get their attention, and they devised a plan to get her out of there. 

Just then, Luz felt a tap on her shoulder. Startled, she whipped around, only to find one of the detention track students behind her. She was tall, with green eyes and a fish hook earring in one ear. Luz couldn’t help but notice that she was very pretty. The girl pointed at the chalkboard, then walked over to it and drew a shape on the chalkboard that resembled a keyhole. The keyhole shifted into a shape resembling a small door. The girl pushed it open and crawled through, beckoning Luz to do the same. Luz took a deep breath, then crawled through the hole, which led to a small hallway.

“Whoa… what is this place?” Luz asked as she stood, looking around at her surroundings.

The door slammed behind her, making her jump. The girl stood there, hand still on the door. She was staring down at Luz, towering over her menacingly.

“This is the last room you’ll ever see alive.” The girl growled. Luz’s heart jumped in her throat. She squeaked and backed up a couple of steps, completely regretting the decision to follow this girl into this room that would surely become her tomb. Instead, the girl started laughing. It wasn’t an evil laugh, like Luz would’ve expected. It was the laugh of a prankster. The girl wiped a mirthful tear from her eye, and smiled at Luz.

“Ah, just messing with ya. I’m Viney.”

“I’m terrified! Um, I mean… I’m Luz.”

“Thanks for standing up for us back there. Not many people would have done that. Follow me! I wanna show you something.”

Viney grabbed her hand, and led Luz down the hallway. Luz was still mildly terrified, but followed due to her overwhelming curiosity. They made their way into a giant circular chamber, as tall as Hexside’s tallest tower. Luz gasped as she looked around. Doors of all different shapes and sizes covered the walls, all leading to who knows where. She was amazed. She was used to magic by now, but it still amazed her that a room this big could exist without being discovered. She truly did love this magical world. 

“You’re one of us troublemakers now, so you’ll get special access to the Secret Room of Shortcuts!” Viney declared.

“Us?” Luz asked, looking around the room for other students.

“The other detention track kids! Come on, I’ll introduce you to them.”

Viney whistled a signal, and two kids walked into the room. Viney introduced them as Jerbo and Barkus. Jerbo was a taller witch, with brown hair and a lanky build. Barcus was a quadruped demon with a vaguely dog-like structure, and he communicated through barks. Jerbo often translated for him. After their introductions, Viney explained that this room had access to most of the doors in the school, making traveling around the school a breeze. This was important to the detention track kids because their refusal to commit to only one coven had landed them in the detention track, where they couldn’t learn magic at all. With this room, they could listen in on any class and learn any type of magic they wanted. 

“That’s amazing! You guys really know how to make the best out of a sticky situation.” Luz remarked, sticking her head through a door resembling a locker. She was able to see into one of the halls, where she saw a familiar face. Well, more of a familiar back, because she was turned away from Luz’s locker.

‘ _Hey, there’s Amity! She seems… nervous.'_

“So you two go to the same school now, that doesn’t change anything!” Clearly not convinced by her own words, Amity sighed in resignation.

Having accidentally invaded Amity’s privacy before, Luz quickly shut the locker door behind her, startling Amity in the process.

Back in the chamber, Viney, Jerbo, and Barcus were listening in on a class. Viney beckoned Luz over, and she sat down beside them. The class was led by a teacher resembling a rattlesnake, with a voice that reminded Luz of her old history teacher back in the human realm. Luz hoped the material was going to be interesting, otherwise she would never be able to focus enough to listen to this guy’s monotone voice.

“Can anyone tell me what defines an elemental witch?” the teacher asked. He paused for a few moments, then when no one answered his question, he pointed to a green haired witch sitting towards the back of the class. Luz gasped; she knew this witch all too well.

“Emira Blight? Do you know the answer?”

Emira didn’t even look up to acknowledge him, but instead leaned back in her chair and answered.  
  
“Elemental witches are a subset of the witch species that began in the Wild Ages. These witches were blessed with a gift that allowed them to control a specific element, such as fire, water, earth, or air. Do you want to know the compounds of the magical substance that flows through an elemental witches’ veins, or did I answer sufficiently?” 

The whole class stared at her for an uncomfortable few seconds. Luz was shocked. She knew Emira was both smart and talented, much like her sister Amity, but Luz didn’t quite realize just how much until she witnessed her annihilate that question. She also couldn't help but snicker a little, as this felt oddly similar to a show she loved back in the human realm. The teacher smiled, clearly irritated. 

“Correct, miss Blight. However, I wouldn’t use the word blessed when describing elemental witches.”

He drew a spell circle in the air, creating a holographic image depicting a tall figure wearing a mask. The figure had glowing blue eyes that unsettled Luz. They did not look like the eyes of someone she ever wanted to meet.

“Viney, who is that?” Luz whispered, pointing to the figure. 

“That’s Lord Belos, the Emperor of the Boiling Isles.” Viney answered, not even looking at the hologram. She was watching Emira, a small blush spreading across her face. Luz noticed this, then smiled to herself as she turned back to the lesson.

“When Emperor Belos came into power, he created the coven system, which allowed us to reach our full potential in our fields of choice. In exchange, we had to give up being wild witches, and the ability to use other magic. Elemental witches, who had been gifted their magic directly from the Isles, could not relinquish their powers. Or perhaps they were simply unwilling to. Nevertheless, they did not fit under the coven system. They waged war against Belos’ new reign, under the leadership of Abernath, who possessed the most chaotic element of all.”

The teacher summoned a bottle out of thin air. Inside, a little bolt of lightning careened about, flashing and spitting as though it were alive, and very angry. The teacher held it up for the whole class to see.

“This is one of Abernath’s last lighting strikes before he was captured at the Battle for the Knee. After he was captured, the rest of his army was defeated, and the elemental witches were taken away. No one knows where they were being kept, or if they’re still alive. This may be the only trace of elemental witches left. Now, the properties of this bolt are very curious, for one…”

Luz had stopped listening by this point. She kept staring at the lightning bolt trapped in the little bottle. She felt an overwhelming urge to free it, to release it back into the heavens where it belonged. Luz understood the little bolt, felt the desire to be free right down to her very bones. She stared at that bolt, lost to everything else. She didn’t notice the static electricity building up around her. She didn’t notice Emira had seen them in the doorway, and was silently trying to warn the troublemakers. She didn’t notice Jerbo getting shocked when he tried to tap her on the shoulder. All she knew was that she wanted to be free.

CRASH!

The lighting broke out of the bottle, causing a bright light to fill the room. Students screamed as they covered their eyes, trying to dodge the tendrils of lightning that emanated from the lightning bolt. The bolt whizzed around the room, then sped over to Luz and halted in front of her. 

“You’re alive... “ Luz whispered, her breath hitching in her throat. In response, the bolt danced around her, zipping around her like a brightly light firefly. It crackled twice, then shot out the open door, through the hallway, and out an open window. Thunder boomed as the lightning bolt sped into the clouds, finally free from its gilded prison. Luz watched it go, euphoria overtaking her heart, wishing she could fly with the bolt.

Then she felt it. A sensation flowing through her veins, burning hot and white cold. She looked down at her arm, only to find gold streaks of lighting coursing over it. Freaked beyond belief, Luz stood up and bolted towards what looked like one of the bathroom doors. She was running way too quickly, much faster than she ever thought capable of. Much faster than was humanly possible. She crashed into the door with a painful crunch, then wrenched it open and stumbled inside. 

\----

Luckily, the door she opened was the bathroom. Luz walked over to the sink, which had a mirror hanging above it. She gasped at her reflection. She was literally glowing. Yellow tendrils of energy flickered around her body. Her hair had partially turned gold, and crackled with static electricity. Even her eyes were alight, yellow combined with her normal brown color. She splashed water onto her face, hoping that would help quell whatever was happening to her. 

“AAAAUGH!” she yelled, electricity sparking off the walls.

She had almost electrocuted herself. In her rush to rid herself of her newfound glow-up, she had forgotten a basic rule of science. Electricity plus water makes things explode. Apparently, this rule also applied to magical lightning. 

“Who would’ve thought.” Luz grumbled, trying to smoothen her hair. It had gone poofy when she had splashed the water on herself, and she thought she resembled a poodle. After a few failed attempts to fix it, Luz gave up. She sat down on the bathroom floor. She knew that wasn’t the most sanitary thing she had ever done, but she really couldn’t bring herself to care. There was something going on with her, something potentially dangerous. She couldn’t face this alone, she knew that for sure.

‘ _Eda will know what to do. She knows more about magic than anyone, maybe she’ll know what is going on with me.’_

She thought of Eda and King, and how much she cared for them. They were more than just mentors, roommates, or friends to her now. They were family. Sure, they were crazy. And wild. And they both could smell really bad at times. But Luz couldn’t have asked for more. She loved them, and she knew they loved her too. That thought calmed her down greatly. She looked down at herself and gasped. The lightning was gone. She jumped up and looked at herself in the mirror. She was back to her normal self, even her hair had smoothed out. She sighed in relief.

“Thank goodness. I thought I would have to go back to class looking like a living light bulb.” Luz laughed.

“I don’t know hun, that flashy look you had going there was pretty cool if you ask me.” the mirror replied.

There are some magic things Luz will never get used to.

She walked out of the bathroom, only to find Willow and Gus facing off against a giant monster. Willow summoned a carnivorous plant with giant teeth, which hurled itself at the monster. Using his illusion magic, Gus enhanced it with giant, muscular arms. The plant managed to land a solid punch, right before the monster swallowed it whole. Both Willow and Gus fell to the ground, their magic drained. Luz decided that she would have to worry about her own problems later. She raced towards the monster, determined to save her friends. She threw a light glyph into the monster’s open mouth, which burst into flames in its throat. The monster flailed about, screeching that Hexside would never receive money from the Emperor’s Coven, and that their magic wasn’t all that tasty. Luz didn’t even have time to question what the monster meant. She pulled Willow and Gus to their feet, and led them towards the detention room.

"Luz! Where have you been? We came to save you from detention, but you were gone!" Willow asked, dodging a string of acid from the flailing monster.

"There's no time to explain! Come on, I know people who can help us!" Luz yelled back, tugging her friends along.

They ran down the corridor, past fallen students and teachers alike, down to the only place where magic still existed in the school. They were going to need all the help they could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so, so sorry for the delay on this chapter. I recently had a death in the family due to covid, and between that and school I've been really busy! Hopefully I will stick to my weekly posts from now on, I again apologize.
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you have any constructive criticism, please send it my way. I will take no offense, and would love the feedback so I can improve future chapters.
> 
> Also, if you have any questions/concerns/memes and would prefer to contact me directly, you can find me at @suki_nation on Twitter and on Instagram at @artsy_anachronism. I promise it will not annoy me, and I am always happy to talk and make friends.
> 
> I will try to update on a weekly basis, so expect the next update to be next Tuesday. I will post sneak peeks/updates on my Twitter if you'd like to stay informed.
> 
> See you in the next chapter! :)


	3. Aftermath of an Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity and Luz have a heart to heart in the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful one. Especially given the circumstances. 
> 
> This chapter is more or less filler/ Lumity moments. I promise things will start getting crazy really soon.
> 
> Also, thank you all so much for over 100 kudos on this work! I never expected to reach that many, and considering this is my first fic in years I'm extremely glad it's off to a good start. I appreciate you all more than you could ever know.

The Bonesbourough library was quiet today. Amity knew that was the point of libraries, but normally the place was full of whispering chatter and the sounds of books being regurgitated by the filing system. 

That was not the case today. 

News must have spread about the monster that had attacked Hexside earlier that day, causing everyone to head home for fear of getting eaten. 

Amity, however, had no such fear. After all, she had seen the beast get taken down right before her eyes, and not just by some random hero. 

On her first day at Hexside, Luz managed to take down a greater basilisk, one of the most feared demons in the realm. Thanks to her, everyone in the school was able to get their magic back, including Amity herself.

Amity shuddered, remembering when her magic was removed from her. Even her elemental magic had been taken from her, the spark in her heart snuffed out like a candle. She would never admit it to anyone, but she had never been more terrified in her life. By taking her magic, the basilisk had robbed Amity of her identity, everything that made her stand out. She could only lay there as she watched her friend step up to save her, to save the school. 

Helpless. 

Powerless.

_Weak._

She should’ve been the one to have defeated the basilisk. It was what was expected of her. As a Blight, she was supposed to be the superior student, the one to save the day. After all, Blights couldn’t show weakness. Letting someone else take the glory of the kill away from you was weakness. She had failed the Blight name.

She wasn’t mad at Luz though. If anything, she was incredibly grateful to Luz for returning her magic to her. Amity’s situation would have been made even worse if she had returned home with no magic. Amity would have had no good answers to explain where her magic had gone, and her parents would have been furious with her. At least now they never had to know.

No, she wasn’t mad at Luz. She was just angry with herself for not reacting quicker. She could’ve stopped that basilisk before anyone had gotten hurt, but instead she had been too slow to react when the monster reared her ugly head. 

Amity sighed, sinking deeper into her bean bag chair. She was in no mood to read or catch up on her homework. Instead, she stared up at the ceiling, replaying the day’s events in her head. 

Someone knocked on the bookshelf that hid her hideout, causing Amity to fall out of her bean bag with a yelp. 

She got up frantically, then braced herself for a fight. Someone was snooping around the bookshelf, looking for something they weren’t supposed to find. 

There was a specific book on the shelf that triggered the hideout door to open, and if it was found Amity would have nowhere to run. She would have to fight.

Her mind raced as she tried to remember who might have known about her hideout.

She knew the twins knew about her hideout, but they also knew which book opened the door. They weren’t usually the type to knock before entering, either.

Boscha and her gang didn’t know about it, Amity had made sure of that. Boscha would never hang out in a library voluntarily, so it was the perfect place for Amity to escape her and her gang.

It was entirely plausible that the basilisk could have traced her scent all the way to the library. It wouldn’t have been hard for it to get past the library staff, then follow her scent over to the bookshelf that hid the hideout. That must be it.

She tensed as the intruder knocked on the bookshelf again, ready to cast a spell at a moment’s notice. She also summoned a tiny lightning bolt into her hand, something she almost never did. She wasn’t going to let some monster get the best of her again today. 

She crept slowly towards the door, ears perked to catch any suspicious noise.

Another knock rang out, then came a voice so faint Amity barely caught it.

“...Amity? Are you there? I just wanted to check up on you…”

Amity had completely forgotten Luz knew about her hideout.

She facepalmed, sighing from sheer relief. 

Then began to panic all over again.

She wasn’t emotionally prepared to handle being around Luz right now, not after the harrowing day she had. She was only _barely_ able to control her dumb heart the last time she talked to Luz, and she was relatively calm then. This time, she wasn’t so sure she could manage.

But...

She couldn’t just ignore Luz. Not after bailing on her this morning. Not after she had saved her from a fate without magic. She owed Luz at least the courtesy of thanking her for what she did today. It was only fair.

Amity dismissed the lightning bolt, took a deep breath, and pulled on the book that opened the door. The bookshelf swung in, and there was Luz. 

Amity’s heart crackled when she saw her standing there. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her, even for a short while.

‘ _This isn’t going to be easy, is it?’_ Amity thought to herself, silently chastising herself for opening the door.

“Hey, are you ok? I didn’t see you after the whole basilisk situation, did you get your magic back?” Luz asked, concern shining in her bright brown eyes.

Amity smiled the best she could, still shaken up but genuinely touched that Luz had come to check on her.

“Yeah, I’m okay. My magic came back once you beat the basilisk.”

“Awesome! I was so worried... first Willow and Gus, and then you… I was really scared that I was too late, y’know?” Luz rubbed the back of her neck, her glowing smile faltering a little as she spoke.

“No! You weren’t, you really did save us all Luz. Thank you, I’m not sure what Hexside would have done without you.”

Luz’s smile brightened, and Amity felt a small blush creep onto her face. 

She coughed nervously and invited Luz inside, not wanting to risk someone else finding her hideout. The door swung shut behind them with a soft thud. Amity took her place back on the bean bag chair, passively observing Luz as she looked around the room. 

She loved the way Luz absentmindedly traced her hand over every book she passed by, the way she hummed excitedly when she saw a title she recognized. She adored the way Luz squealed when she noticed the Azura poster that hung on the back wall.

She decided right then that she wanted to see Luz happy every day for the rest of her life.

“...you doing okay?” 

Amity snapped out of her stupor, realizing that she had been staring at Luz the whole time.

Luz had noticed. She had a teasing smile on her face, mischief dancing in her eyes. 

Amity wasn’t sure if Luz was being flirty, smug, or if she was genuinely confused. She also wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. 

“Y-yes! I’m just glad you like the hideout.”

_‘Way to go, Blight.’_

“Like it? Amity, this is one of the coolest spaces I’ve ever seen! It’s like that secret study Azura had in the Crystalline Castle, from book three. The one where she had the magic mirror!"

“I may or may not have based it off that book.” Amity remarked, a mischievous smile flashing across her face as Luz wheeled around in awe.

“You didn’t.” 

“I absolutely did.”

“Have I mentioned you’re the coolest person on the planet?”

Amity chuckled. She wasn’t so sure that was the word to describe her, but she’ll take it.

“Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s you. You _did_ defeat a basilisk today, after all.”

“Yeah that was pretty awesome, though I couldn’t have done it without the detention track kids. I owe them.”

“I’m also pretty sure they actually owe you, considering they aren’t detention track anymore.”

This was true. After Luz and the detention track kids saved the school from the basilisk, it took little convincing for Principal Bump to bend his one track rule. He allowed the detention kids to study from any tracks they desire. 

Luz had decided to study all the tracks, curious about what every coven had to offer. Her school uniform reflected this change; it had changed from the dull grey of the detention track to a multicolored look, reflecting the myriad of lessons from each coven she would be learning. 

Amity liked this look on her. It reflected Luz’s vibrant personality much more than any single coven track color ever would.

“I wouldn’t say they owe me anything, I’m just glad they get to study what they want.” Luz smiled as she looked down at her own vibrant uniform.

She thought for a moment, then looked back up at Amity.

“Would you ever want to choose another track?”

Amity pondered this question. Truth be told, she had never even considered the possibility of being in another track. Ever since she was born, she had been assigned to the Abominations coven. It was one of the most prestigious covens, as the skill required to create functional abominations was rather difficult to attain. Her parents had always pushed her to excel in Abominations, so she had never really questioned whether or not she would have chosen differently if she had the option. Perhaps, in a different universe, she might have considered-

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Luz covering her mouth, eyes gleaming with tears as she tried to hide her wide smile.

“Sorry! Sorry, I just noticed your fang sticks out when you’re thinking hard.”

Amity quickly covered her own mouth, turning bright red with embarrassment. 

“I- I didn’t know-”

_‘Titan, this is so embarrassing.’_

“Oh my gosh, Amity I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you self conscious, I just thought it was cute, I swear.”

That just made Amity blush even harder. She covered her face with her hands and groaned.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable! I really messed up, I’m sorry.”

Amity started shaking in response. Luz stood up to comfort her when she realized Amity wasn’t crying. She was laughing.

“I’m not mad, Luz. It caught me off guard, that’s all. I didn’t realize I had that habit.”

“I’m glad, but still…”

Luz reached over and took Amity’s hand into her own. Amity was surprised, but she didn’t recoil.

“Just know that you’re perfect the way you are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, not even me.”

Amity smiled gently and squeezed Luz’s hand. She didn’t know how she got so lucky to have met Luz Noceda, let alone become friends with her. 

“Thank you, Luz. I appreciate that very much.”

Amity cleared a stray tear from her face and smoothed her hair.

“I also had time to think about your question.”

“Would you still be in Abominations?”

“Yes, actually. I never really had a choice going into it, but I genuinely like creating abominations. They are obedient, which I like. They also actually listen to you when you speak. I know they’re just awaiting commands, but it’s nice feeling like you have someone who will listen, you know?”

“I don’t know much about abominations yet, but I would like to learn. Maybe you could teach me more about them now that we might be in the same classes!”

Amity smiled at the thought of taking classes with Luz. She couldn’t wait to teach her what she knew.

“I would like that a lot.”

\----

“Amity, what do you know about elemental witches?”

Amity tensed at the words “elemental witch”, but played it off with a shrug.

“Not much besides what little they teach at school. How did you even hear about them? That’s an upper grade subject.”

Luz shifted nervously. “I heard some students talking about them in the halls, I just wanted to know what they were. They sounded pretty cool.”

Amity could tell Luz wasn’t being entirely honest, but didn’t pry further. 

She also wasn't entirely sure how they had reached the topic of elemental witches. One minute they were discussing the properties of gryphon breath, and the next Luz had asked the one question Amity was always reluctant to answer.

It didn't matter now. Amity needed to stop talking about elemental witches before she said something incriminating. She decided to play dumb on the subject.

“I really don’t know much, but have you considered…” Amity raised an eyebrow and smirked. “...reading? We’re at the library, you know.”

Luz laughed and facepalmed, leaning back in her bean bag chair.

“I forgot! I’ll probably check out a book on the way home. We finally paid Eda’s insane library fees, so I think they’ll let me.”

“Cool!” Amity squeaked, ready to put the topic of elemental witches behind her.

“That reminds me! Would you like to come over to the Owl House tomorrow, since we don’t have school? Eda is trying out a new dinner recipe, and I can give a fifty percent guarantee it won’t burn your insides out. Maybe we could have a midnight conjuring!”

Amity thought about it. On one hand, going anywhere with Luz was a bit risky, considering her heart might start storming if things started getting the least bit romantic. 

However, today hadn’t been so bad. In fact, her heart had been pretty quiet, save for the occasional crackle when Luz did something particularly adorable. Maybe she could learn to control it somehow. Or maybe the basilisk had temporarily reduced its power, and this was a very bad idea.

There was only one way to find out.

“Sure. I’ll have Ed and Em cover for me while I’m gone, they’ll just tell my parents I’m here. My parents won’t question it.”

“Do you sleep here often?” Luz asked, concerned.

“More or less. I just like having time to myself.”

 _‘...and being able to live without my parents breathing down my neck constantly.’_ Amity thought bitterly.

“If you ever need a place to go, you could always stay with us. Eda and King wouldn’t mind. We could even be roommates!”

Amity couldn’t help but smile at Luz’s excited expression. “Thank you, Luz. I’ll think about it.”

Luz picked up her school bag and slung it over her shoulder. Amity stood up and followed her over to the door.

“No problem! I gotta get going, I promised Eda I’d help clean Hooty. See you tomorrow?”

Amity smiled in confirmation.

“See you tomorrow.”

Luz pulled the book lever, and the door swung open. She stood there a moment, then turned and threw her arms around Amity.

“I’m really glad you’re okay. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if that basilisk had hurt you.”

Amity stood in shock for a couple seconds, then pulled Luz close to her.

“I didn’t get hurt. You saved me, and I’ll never forget it.”

They stood like that for a while, embraced in a tight hug. Neither really wanted to let go, but eventually Amity did, stepping back to allow Luz to leave.

Luz stepped out of the room. Before she turned the corner to leave, she turned around and flashed a winning smile.

“See ya!” she chirped.

Then she was gone, leaving Amity alone in the doorway.

She clutched her heart absentmindedly, watching Luz walk away. She wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring, but part of her was excited to find out.

“...see ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I apologize for the ungodly hour this was posted. School is still kicking my ass big time.
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you have any constructive criticism, please send it my way. I will take no offense, and would love the feedback so I can improve future chapters.
> 
> Also, if you have any questions/concerns/memes and would prefer to contact me directly, you can find me at @suki_nation on Twitter and on Instagram at @artsy_anachronism. I promise it will not annoy me, and I am always happy to talk and make friends.
> 
> I will try to update on a weekly basis, so expect the next update to be next Tuesday. I will post sneak peeks/updates on my Twitter if you'd like to stay informed.
> 
> See you in the next chapter! :)


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